Daytripping: Point Arena Lighthouse and the Mendocino Coast

The phrase "to hell in a handbasket" really should be updated to "to hell in a Bug".

Yes, I know that a day trip is only a day, but we did take a day trip from our campground. I think this will be a memorable trip, not just because of the cramped, bumpy ride in my husband's 1973 VW Bug, but also because of the stunning scenery. Absolutely stunning. That's all I can say about the view from the Point Arena Lighthouse. We could not have asked for a more beautiful winter weekend. Truth be told, I was a little nervous about booking a "kamping" vacation in winter. I know it's California, but it can be rainy and windy on the north coast.

On Saturday, we made our way down to the lighthouse and it was a tad windy. Not too bad, or so I thought. We got to the museum and paid our fee to tour the lighthouse...and when I say "tour" I mean with the intention of climbing to the tippy top. I am so glad I've lost 50+ pounds. We stepped inside and started climbing. As an aside: it's not very ADA friendly, unfortunately. Sorry, there are no elevators. My wonderful husband carried our youngest son all the way to the top and back down. Our youngest son has mild cerebral palsy and he walks with a limp and drags his feet; it would have taken a looooooooooooong time for him to climb up the 145 stairs, I believe it is. I could have stayed behind with my son and taken the next tour alone, but that wouldn't have been very family-friendly. For what it was worth, we wanted him to experience all of the lighthouse, so my husband decided to carry him to the top (you can see them in the lighthouse photo). What a workout - I don't think he'll have to exercise for a week.

Anyway, when we got to the top, almost everything but the view was forgotten. The gorgeous Pacific Ocean stretched out before us as we watched the crashing waves and were nearly blown over by the wind. We didn't see any whales, but we saw the ocean in all it's glory and unparalleled beauty, in my opinion. Once again, my pictures do not do it justice.

Afterwards, we drove to the town of Point Arena and had lunch at The Pier Chowder House and Tap Room, followed by a stroll on the pier. Then, just for fun because we had time to kill, we drove up the coast to Mendocino for a coffee and afternoon treat at Moody's Organic Coffee Bar. I daresay they served up one of the best cups of coffee I've had in a long time. On our way back to the KOA Kampground, we stopped at one of the beaches and I was able to coax the boys into standing next to each other in order to get a picture (my FB friends will recognize it). They were and can be infuriating especially on vacation, but you'd never know it from this picture: